Phoenix Media & Books, LLC

09/06/2025

Small presses can win big. We're proof.

This year marked the second year in a row Phoenix Media & Books received high honors from the publishing industry and we do not take that lightly. In the past two years, we have published three books and won the following awards...

2024 Best New Voice in Children's/YA - Gold IBPA Book Award - Sister
2024 Best Books of 2024 - Kirkus Reviews - Sister
2025 Humor- Silver IBPA Book Award - Izzy's Almost Epic Day

I am beyond proud of these accomplishments and am excited to keep marching forward in our quest to publish amazing books for our readers.

Yes, we are small but what we lack in budget, we certainly make up for in vision. Small teams can make big waves--especially when we center the reader experience. That means no AI fluff but authentic storytelling that engages our readers in the best way.

We are hard at work on our next offerings and I can't wait to bring forth the next great read. If you are interested in stocking any of our titles or connecting with us for your organization, feel free to drop me a line. I look forward to enhancing your love of the written word, one book at a time!

Katie
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19/05/2025

I am beyond thrilled to announce that Izzy's (Almost) Epic Day was awarded a silver award in this year's IBPA Book Awards!!!

This is the second year in a row that Phoenix Media & Books received recognition for one of the books we've published and this was no easy feat. For context, less than 10% of books submitted receive an award. And as we are a micro publisher of only a few titles per year, this was a huge accomplishment for us!

As the author, I am even more thrilled as this book is close to my heart. I want to thank every person who helped make this happen. Publishing has always been a collaborative effort and without that collaboration, this book wouldn't even exist. I would also like to give a special thank you to S.J. for her amazing illustrations, as well as Leia M. Johnson and Urania Smith for their editing and never ending support.

Thank you!

If you are interested in learning more, booking me for an event, or purchasing this or other Phoenix books, please check us out at www.phoenixmediaandbooks.com.

03/04/2025

Good news!! Izzy's (Almost) Epic Day is a FINALIST in this year's Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Book Awards!

This makes the second year in a row that a Phoenix Media & Books entry has place in this esteemed contest that has recognized excellence in independent book publishing for the past 40 years. We look forward to next month's ceremony to see if Izzy is a gold or silver award winner. Either way this is EPIC!! Congratulations to the author, Katie Otey Writes, illustrator, , and the PMB editing team, Leia M. Johnson - Writer and Urania Smith!

Click here to see the official announcement: https://www.ibpabookaward.org/2025-winners

25/02/2025

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Welcome to the 1st Quarter of 2025! We are winding down on another cold and dreary February and are well into the start of this new year and here at Phoenix Media & Books, we have great things happening! We are celebrating love, Black heritage, as well as all things books! We appreciate you being he...

24/02/2025

Good news!!! I don't know how I overlooked making this announcement but our debut title, Sister, was named one of Kirkus Reviews "Best Books of 2024"!!!! We at Phoenix Media & Books are honored that this amazing story continues to receive recognition from the country's most esteemed book reviewers. Congratulations to author Leia M. Johnson - Writer, illustrator SJ Winkler, and co-editor Urania Smith. I continue to be in awe of the achievements of this wonderful book.

If you are looking for a picture book that sheds an insightful and gentle light on families navigating the system, consider adding Sister to your library.

Thank you!

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/leia-m-johnson/sister-10/

12/02/2025

The ability to read has not always been a right. It was a privilege. But more than that, reading was an act of revolution. Even today, we still face censorship of books and ideas while still being fed the line that we are free to make our own decisions and choices. We are not.

The ability to read is fundamental to the success of any society. In the Black community, illiteracy is at an all time low. Let's work together to change that. Make reading a part of your day to day life. Encourage reading activities at home. Support community efforts in the fight against illiteracy. And if reading is a struggle for you, reach out for help. Let's do more. Together.

10/02/2025

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/katie-otey/izzys-almost-epic-day/

A boy with a secret crush experiences a day of high hopes and messy mishaps in Otey’s middle-grade novel.

30/11/2024

Phoenix Media & Books is participating in an amazing event today. There will be local vendors, music, food, and you'll be supporting a ton of local business. Come check us out!

28/11/2024

While Christmas is meant to be a joyous season, it can look different in every family. In the children’s book “Every Other Christmas,” a boys spend every oth...

01/11/2024

24/10/2024

We are proud to announce that Izzy's (Almost) Epic Day got it's first professional five star review from Reader's Favorite! We are so proud of this book and are excited to continue hearing from those of you who love this book.

https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/izzys-almost-epic-day

07/10/2024